Lysosomal alpha-glucosidase: cell-specific processing and altered maturation in HT-29 colon cancer cells

We have previously described the abnormal localization of resident Golgi proteins and O-glycans in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of mucin-secreting HT-29 M6 colon cancer cells, suggesting altered protein trafficking in these cells [Egea, Francí, Gambús, Lesuffleur, Zweibaum and Real (1993) J. Cell Sci. 105, 819-830]. In the present work, we have chosen lysosomal alpha-glucosidase as a reporter to examine the intracellular traffic of glycoproteins in M6 cells. We have compared the synthesis and processing of alpha-glucosidase in mucin-secreting M6 cells and in Caco-2 colon cancer cells, the latter resembling normal absorptive intestinal epithelium. Our results show that alpha-glucosidase processing and secretion is markedly delayed in M6 cells as compared to Caco-2 cells or normal fibroblasts, and this delay is caused by an accumulation of alpha-glucosidase precursor form in the trans-Golgi network. Furthermore, treatment in Caco-2 cells with brefeldin A led to changes in alpha-glucosidase maturation similar to those observed in untreated M6 cells. To determine whether altered processing occurs in other cultured cells, a panel of cancer cell lines and cultures from normal exocrine pancreas were examined. In pancreas-derived cultures, alpha-glucosidase showed a processing pattern different from that described until now. Only HT-29 cells and HT-29-derived subpopulations displayed a defect in alpha-glucosidase maturation. In conclusion, alpha-glucosidase processing is more diverse than has previously been described; this finding may have tissue-specific functional implications.